


Adoption and Adaptation

by BlackPencilKitten



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Gen, Pets, Selectively Mute Goro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 13:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11358543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackPencilKitten/pseuds/BlackPencilKitten
Summary: When Mishima suggests the idea, he can't say that he didn't think about it all night.When he goes along with the idea, he can say that it was one of the best decisions he's ever made.





	Adoption and Adaptation

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:  
> I haven't written in two weeks and I feel kinda bad about that because I had a Schedule (tm) before of posting every other day so MORE FICS  
> You can tell when I got tired of writing this, it's taken DAYS to finish this before my self-made deadline of Today  
> TWEWY cameo because why the hell not

Every day was a Youtube video on repeat at half speed without color. Wake up, eat, and spend the entire day inside the house watching whatever came on TV. A few texts from his 'friends' that he never responded to, sometimes even blocked, and occasionally a pizza delivery, but otherwise, it's all the same. A movie in gray, glitched and stuck showing the same frame over and over, the music a drone of warped sounds. Sometimes he'd be blessed with some light rain, which gave an excuse to never leaving the house and some nice background noise, but in reality, he knew that wasn't the problem.

He called it laziness, but his friend Mishima insisted that he had depression, even sending him an entire essay over all the symptoms he had which pointed to it. It took a week to read the entire thing thanks to spending only an hour a day trying to read it while only actually reading like, 3 paragraphs in that hour.

Time after time he tried convincing him to go to the clinic and get some antidepressants or let him come over, but the answer was the same each and every time. "No." Mishima had thought about telling the others about Akechi's state, but Akechi always told him not to, stating "Who gives a flying eff." as a reason. Telling his friends without Akechi's permission of his state seemed like a major breach of trust, and he wasn't going to ruin a friendship, there had to be other ways.

After more and more research on the matter, he texted him with a solution.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Akechi.

_Read at 11am_

**Yuuki Mishima:** Goro.

_Read at 2:11pm_

**Yuuki Mishima:** Goro Akechi.

_Read at 6:35pm_

**Yuuki Mishima:** Goro Akechi pick up your phone and listen to me, I'm not sending you another essay

... _Read at 11:27pm_

 **Yuuki Mishima:** I'm not gonna stop texting you until you respond.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** I know, that's why I don't respond.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** It feels like seeing your messages brings a tiny ounce of hope into my life.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** It's very tiny, but it's there.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Oh, makes sense. But listen, I got an idea!

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** I'll try but there's a rerun of Forensic Files and I'm still into it.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** OK, just hear me out:

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Get a cat.

_Read at 11:35pm_

**Yuuki Mishima:** Akechi.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** This one idiot started a fire in like, 5 different places in this one guy's house who said Arsonist robbed and I can't stop half-smirking/chuckling.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Say what now.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Get a cat, a dog, some kind of pet. Research says it can help with depression.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Did you forget that I live in a goddamn apartment.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Get a cat then, all you need to do is put a litterbox somewhere and boom. Toilet problem solved.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** I'm broke as hell and I've been living off of instant ramen for the past few months.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Akira's been giving out money like he's a millionaire.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** I can buy some pet supplies for you and give you some money.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** I don't have a car or the energy to walk.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** I will physically carry you all the way there.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** And/or give you five cups of coffee.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Deal?

_Read at 12am_

**Yuuki Mishima:** Did you pass out on me?

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Not yet.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** And deal, catch these hands at 3pm. Maybe.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Cool, see you then!

 

The sun heated up the ground to a tolerable warm level, many pedestrians wearing sandles or forgoing shoes completely for that reason. Summertime had always been a public favorite, both for swimsuit season and as a hotter and drier season to recover from Spring's torrents and Winter's icy touch. Crowds chatted about the usual, verbally checking off a list of beach supplies, wondering if their crush would notice them now, and reminders of the time. Mishima spedwalked through the crowds, increasing his pace to a jog once he got to the less crowded areas of Tokyo. Arriving at an apartment complex, he made his way inside and to the stairs, knowing Goro's room number by heart.

In only a few minutes he was at room 16C, and he knocked on the door a few times before waiting for a response.

No answer.

He knocked again, harder this time, before a groggy voice came from the other side.

"'s unlocked."

Testing the door, Goro's statement was true as Mishima entered his room, hardly batting an eye at the slight mess inside. A pizza box in the kitchen, a few clothes strewn across the floor, curtains pulled over the windows to cover the room in darkness. He could see Goro half-asleep on the couch, a blanket pulled over him. Walking over to him, he poked his head.

"Mgrgrgr."

"It's 3, we're gonna go see the cats now, remember?' Mishima continued to poke his head, ruffling his hair.

"No, and I'm tired."

With a huff Mishima moved to the curtains, pulling them wide open as Goro let out a groan, eyes squeezing shut to keep in the darkness.

"Come on, you said yes to going to get you a cat!"

"I don't remember anything that happened last night, close the damn curtains."

"You need sunlight to survive and it'll give you energy, come on." Mishima took the blanket off of him, throwing one of Goro's arms over his shoulder and pulling, dragging his shirtless upper body off the couch. Goro let out a whine, refusing to move. Mishima groaned as he dragged him off of the couch and towards his bedroom, weeks of working out at the gym paying off as he slowly but surely got him to his room, dropping his arm and moving to his dresser.

"Tank top, shorts, underwear, come on we're getting you a cat today." After throwing said items at Goro, who only groaned again, he searched for some shoes, groping under the bed until he found-a pair of short heels. Resuming his search only to find nothing, he sighed and threw the shoes at Goro, who had managed to put on the tank top before dozing off. Mishima went over and opened up the curtains in the room, making Goro sigh before replacing his underwear and putting on the shorts, promptly dozing off yet again afterwards.

Mishima rolled his eyes before putting his heels on for him, repeatedly blowing in his face to get him to wake up.

"Come on, we'll get coffee on the way there." He said, tugging at his arm. After a few minutes, he finally complied, slowly getting to his feet and using Mishima as support. Mishima grinned and led him out of the bedroom and out of the door of his main room. The trip down the stairs managed to wake Goro up some more, jolting him more and more awake each step down. When they reached the bottom, he almost tripped and fell onto Mishima, missing the last step but regaining his balance quickly.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Mishima asked as they left the apartment, never letting go of his hand. Goro let out a grunt of confirmation that turned into a whine, the sunlight blinding him, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He wiped them away quickly, barely opening his eyes to stare at the back of Mishima's shirt until they adjusted. They weaved their way through the crowds of Shibuya, heading to the underground to get some smoothies since Leblanc was too far away.

Mishima handed him his smoothie and Goro looked down at it before letting out another whine.

"Smoothies are healthier and it's the beginning of Summer, cold stuff's better for you." Mishima explained, taking a sip of his smoothie. With a sigh Goro took a drink from his own, quirking a brow at the coldness. However, he felt nothing else as he drank it, barely registering the taste of what seemed to be mango and orange before downing the whole thing, wincing at the brain freeze.

They finished their drinks and started walking again, until Mishima started full-blown running and basically dragged Akechi behind him, Akechi doing his best not to scream in surprise. A short run that felt like it lasted forever later and they were in front of a small store, meows, barks, and even chirps coming from inside. Mishima grinned, bouncing on his feet and turned to look at Goro, who stared at the store with a blank expression, although his eyebrows were raised, that was good.

"Let's go!" Mishima tugged Goro towards the entrance of the shop, opening the door as a bell above rang to signal their presence. They took a step inside-

And the unholy screeching of a parrot filled the air, making the two cover their ears to dull the agony.

An orange-haired boy entered from a side room, yelling as a white cockatoo angrily flapped at him, talons latched onto his arm. The boy swung his arm wildly in a feeble attempted to get the bird off, using his other arm to try and shove the bird off to no avail.

"CHEAPSAKE SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET OFF ME YOU PRICK!" He shouted, now trying to smack the bird against an empty cage, cats and dogs now meowing and barking at the commotion.With much difficulty the boy finally managed to get the blasted bird off of him and back into its cage, the bird letting out a loud squawk. It took him a few minutes to realize that the others were there, when he did he flew back into the side room and returned wearing a semi-professional hat and smoothing down his uniform.

"Welcome to Hell, just looking or what?"

"Looking for now!" Mishima replied cheerily, tugging Goro towards the cat section. Goro gazed around the place, noting the sheer variety of animals it had, from hamsters to fish to-to the godforsaken cockatoos. Mishima stopped in front of some cats, meowing to try and get their attention. Goro merely glanced over the cats, eyebrows falling with disinterest. Leaving Mishima's side, he looked over more and more cats, growing more bored with each second. However, one group caught his eye, and he made his way to them.

Five cats were sharing a mid-sized pen of sorts. A long-haired black cat slept beside a white one, while a long-haired brown cat sat quietly in a corner. A white cat with a blue-grey face seemed to be slightly bothered by an energetic pale-orange cat, who jumped in circles around it. He didn't know why, but Goro felt drawn to them, crouching down to look at them better.

Doing so, he noticed a few key points about each cat. The energetic one had a slight limp and hissed quietly when the cat he 'played' with swatted him away, easily irritated. The white and grey cat moved to play with some toys, preferring swatting balls around tracks instead of batting around fake mice, but also paced around quite a bit, like something was on his mind. The pure white cat shook slightly as it slept, as if it was cold or scared, and the black one awoke for a second before curling around the other protectively with a soft purr. The brown one didn't move from its spot in the corner of the pen, and Goro guessed that it was a loner.

"See one you like?" Goro jumped up from his position and spun around, faced with a blond employee, who let out a laugh. They didn't seem to be any older that Goro himself, but something about them gave him a bad vibe. _You aren't normal..._

"Sorry for startling you, the name's Joshua. You've been staring at those cats for like, 5 minutes straight, want one?" A clipboard and pen quite literally manifested out of thin air and Goro's eyes widened. _What in the motherfuck are you?_ Before he could nod or respond at all, the orange yeller from before spoke.

"HEY WANNA KNOW A FUN FACT JOSH'S REAL NAME IS-"

"NEKU SHUT THE HELL UP WE HAVE CUSTOMERS!" Josh turned around and angrily waved his pen in the air, Neku chucking from his spot farther in the shop, carrying a bucket of water.

"HIS NAME IS YO-"

"STOP IT-"

"SHI-"

"I'LL KILL YOU-" Joshua threw his pen at him, Neku ducking to avoid it. Goro blinked in bewilderment at these two eccentric employees, crouching down by the cat pen again to keep looking at them. The energetic one walked over to the edge of the pen and meowed, tail almost wagging like a dog's.

"YA!"

Mishima moved to stand by Goro as the two employees bickered, Joshua trying to smack Neku with his clipboard. Choosing to ignore them, Mishima knelt down by Goro, who poked his finger through the pen's fence-like walls and let the cat boop it with his nose.

"Oh hey, background checks!" Mishima said, grabbing them from their clip and reading them over. The cat was now standing on its hind legs, and Goro petted its head with his finger. It must've been the cat's personality, because he could feel himself getting a little more energetic.

"That one's Ry, he's a tabby cat who was recently rescued from an abusive home, hence the limp. It says that he loves to play with others, and despite bouts of aggression, he's really warm and friendly! Wanna get him?" Goro looked over the other cats, barely registering what Mishima had told him besides the 'wanna get him'. He stared at each cat for a few seconds, slowly coming to a conclusion.

He was gonna get all of them, eventually.

"Yes."

 

Goro did not expect to be given a packet full of paperwork and asked questions when Mishima told the employees that they found one they wanted.

"We need identification, only adults can adopt-"

"Have you lived in your house for at least three months-"

"We'll need evidence that said house is livable in, which calls for either visiting you or photographs/video proof-"

Everything went by in a flash, and one identification card and a 'come back tomorrow' later they were back at the apartment, sitting on Goro's couch. A few moments of silence passed between them, Mishima looking over the packet multiple times, Goro himself was starting to fall asleep again. Mishima stood up and walked into the bathroom, leaving with a towel and a spray bottle.

"Let's get cleaning, adoption's not gonna happen in an hour."

Goro proceeded to pass the fuck out as Mishima turned every light on and started scrubbing the counters, before gathering up empty pizza boxes and throwing them out. He managed to convince a half-asleep Goro to pick up his socks off the floor and put them away before he passed out again, leaving Mishima to gather all his dirty clothes and throw them on top of him

"Wha the fu-"

"Do your laundry, you're getting a cat and it's gonna be today."

Goro dragged himself off the couch and managed to get to the laundromat many doors down from his room and throw the laundry in the washing machine before falling asleep again, waking up at the DING and throwing his crap in the dryer as Mishima continued to fix up his room. A long walk back to his room with his newly-cleaned clothes later and he was standing in his doorway, staring at his room.

The lights had been replaced, the floor was no longer littered with filth, his kitchen SPARKLED with _cleanliness_ and his couch looked half-decent for once. Mishima sat down by the coffee table, drinking a bottle of water and smiling.

"Great job Goro! All we got now is the video, you wanna do that part?"

It took him a few seconds to figure out what to say.

"Hell yes."

 

"ALRIGHT SHITHEADS WE'RE MOTHERFUCKING PROVING THIS SHIT. LOOK AT MY KITCHEN, LOOK, IT'S SPARKLING LIKE ANIME EYES, NO CHEMICAL SHIT ANYWHERE-SEE I'M OPENING MY FRIDGE TO PROVE IT, _THE KITCHEN IS SAFE._ GOING TO THE LIVING ROOM, NO TV WIRES, NO POISONOUS FOOD, WE GOT NO COCKROACHES AND MICE EATING ANYTHING, **THE LIVING ROOM IS HELLA SAFE.** BACK AT MY ROOM, IT'S **DEADASS CLEAN MOTHERFUCKERS** . BATHROOM TIME, IT'S SPARKLING LIKE THE FUCKING OCEAN, EVERYTHING'S _DEADASS CLEAN._

YOU WANT IDENTIFICATION, LOOK AT MY CARD. I'M EIGHTEEN MOTHERFUCKING YEARS OLD AND I'VE LIVED IN THIS SHITTY APARTMENT FOR FOUR YEARS, **THERE'S YOUR DAMN IDENTIFICATION** **_I WANT MY DAMN CAT NOW."_ **

Josh stared down at his phone, replaying the video sent to him as Neku died laughing behind him.

"He's so mad." He said, brows furrowing as Neku continued laughing.

"He's so fucking mad at us, I didn't _do anything_ hahaHA." Neku doubled over, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

Ry and Hato huddled by each other in their pen, the loud yelling and laughing scaring the hell outta them, Ry hissing quietly. Kiray's tail swung angrily behind him as he sat in front of the two protectively, Kitsu beside him, calm as ever. Achi remained in his corner of the pen, shaking slightly.

 

"...We're waiting till tomorrow to get a cat." Mishima decided after hearing Goro yell into his phone, flipping on the TV as Goro flopped down beside him.

"You said we'd get one TODAY!" He whined, laying his head on Mishima's lap.

"I changed my mind. We-or at least _you-_ won't be allowed back in for the rest of the day, knowing the store owners." He explained, running a hand through Goro's messy hair.

"I just want a cat so I can feel better, according to your research." Goro admitted, humming at Mishima's touch. Mishima trailed a finger down to his ear, scratching behind it and letting out a giggle at the squeak.

"Well, I already have one-"

"I don't count, asshat." Goro let out a huff, half-heartedly batting at Mishima's hand before giving up, letting him mess with his ear with a smile.

"Sure, A-cat-chi Bored-o." Goro elbowed him in the side and Mishima let out a yelp before flicking his ear, causing Goro to groan.

The two found themselves watching TV for a few hours, Mishima ordering them some takeout for dinner. Another rerun of Forensic Files came on and Goro started explaining everything that happened in it, along with criticizing the culprits for some of the dumber things they did. When he ran out of words, Goro fell asleep, Mishima staying where he was, not wanting to wake up Goro and deciding that wearing the same clothes for one, ONE more day would be OK. Turning off the TV, he rested his head against the back of the couch, sighing before sleep overtook him as well.

 

He woke up with a jolt, the sound of two objects smashing together still ringing in his ears. Goro was standing in front of him holding two frying pans and banged them together again.

"WE'RE GETTING MY CAT YOU SLEEPY MOTHERFUCKER _WAKE UP._ " He banged the pans together a few more times in front of Mishima's face as he pushed them away, rubbing at his eyes.

"Can't we sleep in?"

"It's 11am, the store's open and this is the first time I've had the energy to do shit in MONTHS, come on come on LET'S GO HUP HUP HUP BEFORE I LOSE THIS ENERGY!!!" He throws the pans to the side and forcefully yanks Mishima off the couch and drags him out the door.

 

"That'll be 6,258 yen plea-"

Mishima slams the bag of money down next to the cash register, staring at Joshua with a barely-hidden rage.

"I'm tired as hell, take the bag, pay us back later, we're outta here." Goro held a cat carrier, his chosen feline already inside and meowing loudly, wanting to get out. Turning on their heels, they walked out of the pet store, Mishima carrying bags of pet supplies.

"YOU CAN'T JUST LE-" Before he could finish, they were gone, and Josh sighed, faceplanting into the counter. Neku soon came by to check on him, only for his jaw to drop as he saw the huge bag sitting on the counter.

"Neku dearest do me a favor and deal with this."

"Do it yourself, oh godly one."

"Shut up."

 

Mishima entered Goro's apartment room first, setting the supplies on the counter and motioning for him to take the cat to the bedroom. Nodding, Goro skipped to the bedroom, cat bouncing in his carrier with an agitated meow. He shut the door behind him before opening the door to the cat carrier, the tabby inside leaping out with a huff. Shaking his fur, he looked around in confusion, limping towards a nearby cabinet and sniffing it before promptly rubbing against it. He did that to every corner he found in the room before jumping onto the bed, struggling to get a grip with his back feet before successfully climbing to the top with a cat smile.

Goro climbed in bed to be with him, and the cat jumped, shaking slightly. Tilting his head, Goro laid down slowly, resting his head on the pillow.

"It's okay." He said, reaching a hand out to pet the cat, only to get a hiss in return. The cat backed away towards the edge of the bed, Goro narrowing his eyes in confusion, before recalling what Mishima, along with the store owners, had said yesterday.

_"---rescued from an abusive home-------bouts of aggression."_

_"He's got some anxiety, you sure you want this one?"_

"Ry, you're gonna fall." He whispered as Ry continued to back away, ears flattened back and back arched. Another step back and he fell halfway off the bed, front claws clinging to the covers as his back legs struggled for purchase. Goro quickly moved to pull him back on, but received another hiss, Ry's bad leg unable to get a grip on the comforter. Moving to the side, Goro reached a hand out and held it under Ry's foot despite his protests.

Meowing loudly, Ry's leg slipped and fell, landing on Goro's hand. He looked up at him, tilting his head in confusion. Goro smiled softly at him and Ry started trying to climb back up, Goro raising his hand a teensy bit each time Ry got farther onto the bed until he was back on top, landing on his face. Goro chuckled and moved away, resting again before Ry jumped onto his chest to look him in the eye. Suddenly Goro felt very afraid, as if this tiny thing was gonna kick his ass to hell and back.

Ry very slowly walked over to his neck, letting out a happy mew and curling up near Goro's neck, slotted under his chin. Goro blinked as Ry nuzzled him, back legs kneading somewhat painfully into his collar. He slowly reached a hand up to lay on Ry's head, scritching it gently and smiling at the purr he got in response, Ry rolling over and now curling around his face. Bit awkward position, in Goro's opinion, but he couldn't say that he didn't like it.

"I got the food and water set up, toys have yet to be unpacked but I have to go home and change, you got him?" Mishima shouted from the other room. Ry tensed up and dug his claws into Goro's face. Goro swallowed a hiss, rubbing under Ry's chin to calm him down.

"Yeah, we'll be fine." He replied, smoothing down Ry's fur with a slight smile, Ry sticking his tongue out in a blep.

_We'll be just fine._

 

The next few days flew by surprisingly fast, and Goro had little time to actually just lounge around because of his new cat. The litterbox had to be cleaned because dear god Ry shat out boulders that smelled like last year's tapioca, and Ry wouldn't leave him alone with loud meows for food, pets, or play time. Goro learned that Ry loved chasing mice and batting at the fishing pole toys, and preferred to sleep stretched out in rays of sunlight or on his couch.

One annoying habit, though, was the fact that Ry scratched. A lot. On the rug, couch, all over his bed, everywhere _but_ the scratching post Goro had bought. No matter how many times he gently pulled Ry away from the couch or his torn clothes and to the scratching post, Ry just wouldn't scratch it. Trading in posts, he tried different materials, tried finding ones that Ry would like. However, there were no 'couch' or 'Goro's two year old hoody' posts, so every post Goro got, Ry would ignore.

After just a week, Goro had enough.

"Local weeb, whatchu want."

"Yuuki, just how much research have you done on cats?" Goro asked, splayed out on the couch. A glass of water rested on the kitchen counter, a good few centimeters from the edge. Ry looked up at it, swishing his tail.

"You know you could Google things too, right-"

"Calling you takes less energy."

"Right, sorry for forgetting, what's your question?"

"My cat's been scratching everything except the scratching post, no matter how many times I switch it out. Any advice?" Ry jumped onto the counter, peering into the glass and sticking his face into it, lapping up the water.

"There's anti-scratching sprays at the market, but they're kinda expensive, and Akira's getting a bit low on yen. Gave too much out. Google says it could be part of his anxiety-"

Ry tried getting his head out of the glass, but it only stuck to him uselessly. He shook his head wildly trying to get it off, the glass hitting the counter multiple times. Hearing the noise, Goro looked up from his couch before jumping off.

"No no no no-Ry stop-"

"Is everything okay, Akechi?" Ry backed away in circles, meowing loudly as he shook his head. The glass slid off a fraction of a centimeter, water sloshing in Ry's face.

"I'LL CALL YOU BACK-RY DON'T-"

"Goro what's going on-" Call ended.

With a screech, Ry shook his head a final time, the glass sliding off and hurling towards the wall, shattering at contact. Goro covered his face with his arms to block any incoming glass shards, removing his arms slowly and staring at the aftermath. Ry stood frozen on the counter, shaking slightly, claws out.

Goro took a deep breath, hands clenching into fists before unclenching. _Don't get mad, don't get mad, don't become the abuser._

"Ry-"

Ry bolted down from the counter and out of the room before Goro could finish, disappearing into his room. Goro called out his name and followed him, shutting the door behind him and kneeling beside his bed.

"Ry please-"

The moment his face was in view Ry scratched him, hissing and backing away to the middle of the bed underside. Goro let out a hiss of pain, hand over his nose. He opened the door and left, slamming it behind him. For a few minutes he just stood there, seething as his pulled his hand away from his face, growling when he saw blood. A few moments later, he slumped against the door with a sigh, head in his hands

Neither of them ate that night.

 

Kitsu paced around his usual sleeping spot, kneading the ground restlessly. Things hadn't been the same since Ry had gotten adopted. It was quiet now, **too** quiet. Kiray slept in Ry's spot now, rolling around in it when he couldn't sleep. Kitsu found himself laying beside him, letting out a discontent, low growl. Now that Ry was gone, he found himself grooming far more than he should, bald patches starting to show up on his legs. Kiray let out a sigh, flexing his claws as he stared at the wall of the pen. Hato booped Achi's nose worriedly, trying to distract himself from the reminder that there was one less of them here.

Achi remained apathetic on the outside, but a tiny part missed the cream tabby and the nights they spent laying on top of each other, and even the times they fought over toys.

 

Mishima entered the pet store, bags under his eyes from staying up late texting with Goro about the cat situation. Neku looked up at him, letting out a sigh of relief as he waved him over, handing him a few yen coins.

"We got your change figured out, how's your friend liking the cat?" He asked, forcing a smile as he noted the state of Mishima.

"Well, everything was great for a week till the cat broke a glass. He and the cat haven't interacted since, he told me that Ry stopped eating as well." Mishima fidgeted with the yen in his hand, walking over to the cat pen where Kiray, Kitsu, Hato, and Achi were. He picked up their background cards, flipping between Kitsu and Kiray's.

"Do you plan on returning him?" Neku wondered, narrowing his eyes at him.

"No, how much for the Turkish Angora?"

"Kiray? 7,100."

"Cool, we'll be back tomorrow." As Mishima headed for the exit, a snap of the fingers could be heard, and another adoption packet was in his hands. He left the store, Neku letting out a sigh.

That boy and his mute friend were gonna kill him-and make him rich.

 

Goro set the carrier down in his bedroom, closing the door and checking to make sure Ry was still under the bed. He opened the door to the carrier and sat to the side, letting the black cat walk out. Kiray laid down on the floor, looking under the bed and meowing.

Ry turned to look for the source of the noise, and _instantly_ darted out from under the bed, practically tackling Kiray to the side with a happy mewl. Sucking in a quiet breath, he moved to help Kiray, only to stop when he saw him _laughing._ Kiray and Ry rolled around the floor, nuzzling and licking each other. A pang of loneliness hit Goro and he left the room without a word, leaving the cats to play by themselves.

_You think if we met a couple years earlier, we could've been great friends..._

**_Dude, you're more than special._ **

His legs wobbled and he collapsed onto the couch, letting out a sigh. Reaching out and grabbing the remote from the coffee table in front of him, he turned the TV on to mindlessly scroll through channels, the energy from seconds earlier gone. He left it on some kind of kids' show, staring up at the ceiling. A heavy weight sat atop his chest, _this must be what loneliness feels like._ However, the weight meowed, and glancing at it revealed it was Kiray, head tilted curiously.

_What do you want with an abomination like me?_

Kiray leaned over and rubbed his face against Goro's cheeks, moisture gathering in the fur on contact. Rubbing at his own eyes, Goro realized he was crying, and let out a breathy laugh, slowly rubbing under Kiray's chin. With a purr, Kiray continued to nuzzle Goro's face, letting out soft meows in an attempt to comfort him.

_I don't understand why you're like this, why do you care? WHY DO YOU CARE?!_

_If only the public knew I was an unwanted child..._

The memories cause more tears to fall, and he rolls over suddenly, knocking Kiray off him. Burying his face in the couch, his body shakes in a silent sob as his voice fails him. The weight now sits on his back and he wants it to be loneliness, to be weight of his sins, because he deserves _every part of it._

He silently cries himself to sleep, Ry curled up on his back and meowing loudly.

It just sounds like background noise.

 

The next week went by much slower and felt hazy, like a dream where you're walking through a nonstop corridor, random paintings every twenty-four feet detailed some event of your life. Just, replace corridor with house, and paintings with Actual Events.

He learned that Kiray had a thing for high places and would meow for him to come, only to be hiding on top of a tall dresser and probably snickering as Goro wandered around the room looking for him. He made up for it, though, by continuing his habit of sleeping on top of Goro, which was extremely comforting every time -at times.

Kiray also noticed that Ry ate less that he should, if Goro's worried reactions to it were anything to go by. He started pushing their food bowl over to him each time they ate, meowing insistently for him to eat more, even after Ry mewled out protests and even hissed at him. The first few tries were failures, but over time, Ry began eating more again. Goro couldn't help but feel proud for Kiray, at one point talking to himself about how much of a help he's been- _within earshot._ Kiray licked his nose in response and Goro wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Cats and their mysteriousness.

Near the end of the week he found himself being coaxed- _by Kiray_ \- onto his own bed, Ry sitting in front of him and staring at the sheets. Kiray walked between, meowing loudly, which was unusual for the normally-quiet cat. Goro stared at him, brows narrowed in confusion.

"What's this for?"

Kiray sat to the side and looked between the two, letting out many mewls like he was trying to talk. Sighing, Goro held his head in his hands, he couldn't believe his life was now being controlled by a cat. Ry hesitated before walking over to him, licking over the scar on his nose. Goro opened his mouth to say something, but had no words, puzzle pieces connecting into the full thing in his head.

_You're apologizing for breaking the glass and scratching me._

He smiled slightly, scratching behind Ry's head. Ry looked up at him, confused, and Kiray meowed again, causing Goro to stop and think. He had smiled and petted Ry, was that not an apology? A loud yowl followed, and he sighed. Guess not. Kiray continued yowling, and it took Goro a few seconds to figure out what he was trying to say.

_You have to actually tell him that it's OK._

"I forgive you, it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry for coming after you like that."

Ryuji lets out a squeak and headbutts his face, Goro in return letting out an amused huff and scratching behind his ears. He fell backwards as Ry tried to climb on top of him before soon taking up his chest. Kiray moving to lay down by his side. Goro let out a hum as the cats chilled around him, reminding himself that he still had to go through with his plan.

 

Kitsu and Hato huddled together in a cat bed, Kitsu rolling a ball around a track nearby. Hato let out a sigh, burying his face into Kitsu's fur. Two of his best friends were gone, and a thought never left him: They'd all be adopted one day, separated, and it scared him. He lets out a worried mewl, and Kitsu turns his head towards him and starts licking his fur comfortingly. He wouldn't say it, but he missed them too, especially Kiray. It just wasn't the same sleeping with Hato as it was sleeping with him **and** Kiray.

Achi laid in Kiray's old spot, rolling around it from time to time. If the scent remains, he's still there, he tells himself. Maybe he'll be given back, maybe it's all a mixup, but he'll be back, right? No one's leaving, they aren't abandoning him, he'll be fine, they'll all be fine, right?

Right?

 

"You're getting _another_ one?" Josh folded his hands and looked up at Goro with disbelief.

Goro nodded and slid the adoption papers over, having sent a video of proof- that wasn't full of yelling and cursing- beforehand. He stared at Joshua with a dim fire in his eyes, _just try and stop me from adopting my friends and lets get this over with I'm tired._

Looking over the papers and letting out a sigh, Josh pointed over to the pen.

"Everything's in order, go get one."

With a small smile Goro made his way to the same pen, peering over the edge and looking at the remaining cats. Hato peered up at him from his bed, letting out a curious meow. It's the same guy that got Ry, he realized, and suddenly the thought that they'd all be separated seemed less rational. Kitsu walked past Achi, tail slapping him in the face and Achi letting out a hiss. Kistu stuck his tongue out at him before looking at Goro, blinking once before moving over to the ball track.

Goro focused on Hato, tilting his head and smiling as Hato copied him. He reached a hand out to pet him and Hato let out a half-hearted hiss, Goro freezing. After a few seconds, Hato leaned over and sniffed his hand, waiting another few seconds before licking it and rubbing his face against his fingers.

**Bingo.**

 

Goro and Hato came home to toilet paper strung all over the main room, Ry and Kiray tangled up together in a ball of fur and paper, rolling around to try and get free. They froze when they saw their owner in the doorway, some of the toilet paper in their mouths. Goro stood there and stared, eyes following the paper from its start in the bathroom to its end around the cats before he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture with a smirk. He set Hato's carrier on the floor and opened its door before calmly cleaning up the toilet paper mess and untangling the two other cats, flopping onto the couch afterwards.

 

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Is this you guys? [picture of Kiray and Ry tangled up together with toilet paper everywhere]

 **Analytic Kat:** Nah that's just Ryuji. Nice cats.

 **Raging Sunfire:** You're there too, it must've been a team effort!

 **Raging Sunfire:** Seriously though, I wanna meet your cats, you never told us you got any!

 **Raging Sunfire:** Then again, you haven't talked to any of us since Shido's palace.

Kiray jumped down from the couch and went over to Hato's cage, meowing curiously.

_Analytic Kat has left the group chat._

Ry let out a worried meow as Goro's hand shook, almost dropping his phone. Ry nudged his face gently, curling up next to his head as Goro took a deep breath, stilling his hand.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it?

 **Raging Sunfire:** It's been half a year man.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Oh well, your point?

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Or are you just here to antagonize me?

 **Raging Sunfire:** I never insulted you!

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** You guys made a separate group chat just to talk shit about me.

 **Raging Sunfire:** Who the hell told ya that shit?

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Mishima.

 **Raging Sunfire:** Yuuki? Dammit, we said not to tell!

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** It's not healthy to keep secrets.

 **Raging Sunfire:** You're one to talk.

Ry hissed at the phone, Goro reaching over with his free hand to scratch him lightly. He sat up to check on Kiray and Hato, who seemed to be cuddling in Hato's carrier, he couldn't see clearly from this distance. Lying back down, he closed his eyes for a few seconds, willing away the tears in the corner of his eye before responding.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Who's the one that hasn't told anyone about their leg now, huh?

Ten minutes went by before he got a response.

 **Raging Sunfire:** Shut the hell up, it's none of anyone's damn business.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** That's what I've said about my own problem for months now.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** It damages more than it protects

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Get a pet, a Shina Ibu fits you quite well.

 **Raging Sunfire:** I can't, I don't have any space for a dog.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Whatever you say, talk to you later.

He turned off his phone and tosses it onto the coffee table, folding his hands on his stomach. Ry climbs onto his chest and rolls around for a few moments before jumping off to go see Hato. Hato, however, was no longer in his carrier, Kiray being the only one inside it. Ry ran around the house in search of him, pausing by the kitchen as he heard a meow. Looking up, he jumped on the counter to follow the quiet meows.

"Ry, get down from the counter."

He meowed a protest, pawing at the handle to one of the cabinets. Goro rolled his eyes and got up, walking over to him and crossing his arms.

"There's nothing in there-"

A scared meow sounded through the cabinet door and he blinked once, squinting before opening it. Inside was Hato, curled up into a fluffy white ball and meowing timidly. He let out a squeak and tried to scooch backwards, squeaking again when he hit the back of the cabinet. Goro reached out to him.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you-"

Hato darted from the cabinet, jumping off Goro's head and disappearing somewhere else into the room. Ry ran after him with a loud meow, and Goro pinched the bridge of his nose before walking after them.

_Another hit and run, huh?_

 

A day went by, then two, then five, Hato never coming out from wherever his hiding spot was, since it seemed to change at every hour. He'd walk to the bathroom- BOOM -white thing tears across the floor. Lies on his bed-Hato lets out a squeak and zooms into another room. Kiray and Ry would sometimes disappear with him, always bringing either a toy or a mouthful of food, if the toy and kibble crumb half-trails were anything to go by. The week was nearing its end, and Goro worried over Hato. Was he not ready to bond, should he return him? Maybe he shouldn't go out with his plan...

He didn't sleep much that week, but sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, either from a nightmare or because he had to use the bathroom, he woke up with Hato curled up on an extra pillow, fast asleep. During these times he gently pet him, smiling at the sleepy purr he got in response.

He just needed some time.

 

Kitsu let out a sigh, watching the ball in the track slow to a stop. He paced around the pen, kneading in the empty beds that his friends used to occupy, and trying to mimic what they liked to do.

Ry loved chasing mice around and batting at the flying ones attached to string, but each time he swatted at one, the loneliness increased, the sound of Ry's meows a faint echo in his ears.

Kiray always sat at the top of the cat tree, but as Kitsu reached the top and stared down, he only saw used toys, empty beds, and a silent Achi. There was no Ry running around, no Hato eating slowly from his bowl. Just emptiness and silence.

Hato spent most of his time inside of one the caves on the cat tree, and Kistu made his way there, a flicker of happiness reaching him as the scent of Hato still lingered inside. He circled the interior a few times before curling up in the middle of it, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, a single tear falling.

Achi stayed in his corner, letting out a whine. As much as he _didn't_ want to care about the others, as much as he _knew_ that everyone left one day, he couldn't stop the ever looming pain from sinking in.

_They all leave one day._

_You'll never meet them again._

 

Goro visited the pet store again a day earlier than usual, money and adoption papers in hand. Setting them down on the counter, he went over to the pen to look at the remaining cats.

He didn't see Achi in his corner, and assumed he was hiding in a cat cave. Making a few cat noises, Kitsu popped his head out of a cave. Goro smiled and reached out to pet him, Kitsu sniffing his hand before rubbing against him. Since Achi wasn't around, he'd have to be the last one adopted. When given the option to put Kitsu in a carrier, Goro shook his head, to the bewilderment of Neku.

"I think I'll carry him myself."

 

When he got home, there was a cacophony of meows as he set Kitsu down, checking the cats' litterbox before waving them goodbye as he left. Returning a half hour later with bags of cat toys, food bowls, and beds, he got to work setting them up so each cat would have their own space. After setting up all the beds, he set up their food and water and an extra litterbox due to the amount of cats he now had before flopping onto his couch like he had so many times before to relax.

Mindlessly watching his cats run around, he raised an eyebrow when he saw Hato walking alongside Kitsu, meowing happily.

_You just need people you recognize to help you deal with change._

Kistu ended up batting a ball around one of the tracks Goro had bought, chasing after it as it rolled. With a smile, Goro turned on the TV to zone out for a while, since his cats seemed fine.

When it came to dinner time, he noticed that Kitsu didn't eat at all, now memorized by a pair of lobster chew toys. He tried pulling Kitsu away from them to eat, but Kitsu hissed and wiggled out of his grasp, curling around his lobsters. Rolling his eyes, Goro brought his bowl of food over to him, waiting for him to take a break and eat.

He didn't.

The next day he went out to buy more cat food, and grabbed a bag of kibble which looked kinda like fish along with their normal food. There was lobster-shaped kibble too, but Goro doubted that Kitsu would want to eat his favorite toys.

Kitsu ate like he hadn't eaten in years in between playing with his lobsters and ball tracks, and Goro made sure to give him seconds and even thirds, making a mental note to buy loads of this kind of food, because all the other cats were enjoying it too, though they didn't ask for seconds. He did catch Ry trying to steal some food from Kitsu, which ended up in a small fight and distracting Ry with a fishing pole until they both calmed down.

That night, he noticed that all the cats slept cuddled up together, completely abandoning the beds Goro had set up for them. He made another note to put all the beds together so they wouldn't be sleeping on carpet all day.

His phone buzzed with a new message.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** It's been a while since we talked, you okay?

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Yeah.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** You're lying.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Not this time, look:

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** [A picture of all the cats lying on him from earlier that day]

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Oh my gosh, you got four of them?

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Yep. They're all hella cute, the white one's you.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** Wow. So, since you've gotten the cats, have you felt better?

Goro closed his eyes and thought about it.

_I actually went to the pet store to get Hato and Kitsu._

_I was out buying pet supplies._

_The floor's still trash free._

_I can remember the last time I did my laundry, five days ago, right?_

_I know I've been smiling more often thanks to these guys._

_I talked to one of the thieves that wasn't Mishima for the first time in forever._

_I've gotten out of bed almost every day to take care of the cats._

**Antisocial Graveyard:** I think I have, yeah.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** That's great!

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Yeah, thanks for making me get a cat.

 **Yuuki Mishima:** No problem!

His phone buzzed again, this time from an incoming call from a number he didn't recognize. He let it go to voice mail.

_'Answer the damn call please I'm begging you-'_

That voice-it's the blonde guy from the store. He accepts the call.

"Did I forget to fill something out in the papers?"

"No, but get over here fast." His voice seemed slightly worried, and he could hear someone else panicking in the background.

"You're closed though."

"We're still in the shop, it's unlocked."

"Why do you want me to get up, at 11 at night, and go to your store?"

"It's about Achi-"

He dropped his phone and jumped off the couch, running into his bedroom to grab his hoodie.

"Hello?"

He ended the call, leaving his phone on the couch and tearing out of the room.

 

There was supposed to be a week between each cat adoption, that way the others could get used to their new friend and their surroundings.

Supposed to be.

But when he saw Achi, fur tangled and much thinner than he had been when Goro first saw him before adopting Ry, and when he heard the employees explain how he's been getting worse as his penmates had left, Goro didn't think twice.

Fuck that rule.

"He likes to be alone, yeah, but he always hung out with the others when no customers were here."

_"It's been half a year man."_

"He hasn't moved from that corner------"

_"Goro, you can't live on your couch all day, it's not healthy."_

_"You don't understand, Mishima."_

"-------eating less and less------"

_Instant ramen bowls scattered around the floor, a pizza box from weeks ago, fast-food cups with their contents spilled on tile-_

"----------hissing at his friends----------"

_"I don't deserve you, Mishima. I don't deserve anyone, I don't need you, I don't need them, I don't need anyone, now fuck off."_

"------I've seen him cry-----"

_Lying on the couch, TV off, rain pelting the windows as tears fell out._

"-----hey ----, do you remember the last time he meowed?"

_He can't speak, he wants to call out for help even though he thinks he doesn't deserve it, but no words make it past his throat, closed off, painful._

"No, when was the last time he actually smiled?"

_Abomination, freak, murderer. Everything you've done has hurt someone, you don't deserve to be happy. There's no point in doing anything._

"He's me, and he's mine."

 

Kitsu paced restlessly around the room, Ry thumping his leg against the ground in agitation. Kiray sat atop his window outlook, watching the door. Hato hid inside his cave of a bed, what if their owner was going to return them, what if he was dead, what if, what if-

The doorknob turned, and Kiray meowed loudly. Ry ran over to the door as it opened, running back to let Goro get through unhindered. The cat gang's eyes were all on Goro, something wrapped in a towel in his hands. In response to everyone's curious meows, he set said wrapped thing down before slowly unwrapping it.

Achi slept inside, silent even in his sleep. Goro went to get his phone, sitting on the couch and taking a quick picture of the cats, who had crowded around Achi.

Achi would surely panic when he woke up, even more when he realized that this isn't the pen, that his friends are there, and that some really tall thing seemed to take care of them. It would take a while for him to adjust, by a while he meant weeks, months, maybe even a year. He couldn't do it alone, Mishima had taught Goro that, and now Goro would teach Achi.

_Sent to: Yellow-tailed Kitsune, Analytic Kat, Raging Sunfire, and Yuuki Mishima._

[A picture of all the cats around Achi, followed by all the other pictures he had taken of his cats during the weeks. The Toilet Paper Incident, photos of each individual cat excluding Achi, Hato somehow getting into the fridge, Kiray being a little shit and knocking bowls off the counter, etc etc.]

 **Caption:** Guess who just adopted all of you. This bitch.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Ryuji Voice: It's been six months man.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Mishima Voice: I can't get better on my own.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Yusuke Voice: Perhaps, if we get the time, we could hang out together.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** Akira Voice: Just you guys, me, and your cat selves.

 **Antisocial Graveyard:** I'll order pizza, meet me in a week?

_Several People are typing..._


End file.
